Hero in the Making
by KalilAvodroc777
Summary: What happens when a hothead ninjitsu pupil in Japan gets sent to Manhattan to train under Master Splinter? Will he and Raphael be mortal enemies or best friends? Can the mutant family melt his hardness? Read and find out. R&R, please!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: This is the first time I've made my work known to such a possibly wide audience, so I really hope you guys will give me some good encouragement as well as critiques.  
This IS a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fanfic, but the turtles don't come in for a while. Bear with it, please. ;)  
One other thing, I'm not good with chapter titles, so they might just be labeled by chapter number. Don't hate me. Titles just don't like me. ;;  
(I don't think I need a disclaimer yet...)

"Hero in the Making"

Seth's POV

…weightlessness. CRASH! I hit the opposite wall, collapse to the ground. My arms shake as I try to push myself up. Footsteps. I have to get up, have to fight. I taste the blood in my mouth after a kick connects to my face. I'm on my back now. I can't breathe; he's sitting on my lungs. I try to hit him; my arms are pinned. Try to kick free; no good. I am at his mercy.

"Give up, Seth. You can't win." I don't answer. I'm trying to think of how to get out. I half mumble, half choke something out. "Eh? What's that?" I "try" to speak up; my plan is working. That arrogant jerk is trying to hear what he thinks is my surrender. _Just lean in, come in a little closer._ He leans in a little. I keep my voice just low enough so that he can't hear me.

The corner of his mouth twitches. Was he trying not to smile? Suddenly rage begins to bubble and boil inside me. If he would just lean in I could win this fight and prove myself better than him! He locks eyes with me. He must be able to see the anger rising in me, because he smiles at me. It's the toothiest, most condescending, sickening, and infuriating smile I have ever seen. I bare my clenched teeth as I prepare to make one last effort to throw him off me. The exertion combines with the rage to form some unearthly battle cry.

I'm free! I somehow managed to reverse our positions, and now I'm taking full advantage of it. I have his arms pinned with my knees and I'm beating at his face for all I'm worth.

This probably went on for about 5 seconds, though it felt like a minute or more. I only stopped because Sensei intervened. I was throwing what would've been a beautiful right hook to Mikhail's face, when Sensei caught my elbow before the execution. Of course, being the idiot that I am, I yanked free and kept going. Big mistake. Sensei hit the nerve clusters in my shoulders, then, with a maddeningly simple arm bar, pulled me from Mikhail. The son of a rat was still wearing that smirk, like all the punishment I had just given him was nothing. I tried to get at him and continue my onslaught. Mistake number two. Sensei used his advantage to bring me to the ground, flat on my stomach. There was nothing I could do under this new hold unless I wanted a broken arm or dislocated shoulder.

"You must learn to control your anger, Seth, or it will control you." Sensei was always saying stupid stuff like that. But acting like I practice what he advises always gets him to shut up. I take a few deep breaths, calm myself down a little. My muscles and bones are getting used to the new position. I nod to let sensei know I'm under control now. He lets me up. That jerk is just standing there with his arms crossed, with that smirk of superiority still on his face. "Bow," the sensei commands. We do so, but there is no respect in the motion.

Oh, hell. Sensei's got that look in his eyes. He's brewing up a lecture.

"I'm hittin' the showers." Gotta' get away before…

"Seth." Crap! "Come see me when you have finished." I search his eyes for the hope that he isn't 

planning what I think he's planning. Nope, it's too obvious to ignore. I give a mental sigh and walk to the showers.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: yes, it's short, but I have a lot of the story already made, so the updates will be quick. (not that it seems anyone is reading this, given there are NO REVIEWS. -hint-) the next chapter is longer. :)

"Dismissal"

Seth's POV

_Man, this one's long. My knees hurt like heck and I can't feel me freakin' legs. He just keeps going on and on!_

"…worried about you. You've been getting progressively more…"

_Blah, blah, blah. If these bozos would let me finish what I start, they might think twice before correcting. They'd respect me if they saw the full extent of my abilities._

"Are you listening, Seth?"

Finally! _There's the tell-tale sign that the lecture's over._ I'm home free. "Yes, Sensei." He sighs; I think he knows I wasn't listening. "My child, I can do nothing more for you until you conquer this anger in you. I am sending you to a good friend of mine in Manhattan. You will train under him and with his other pupils until he deems you ready to return." Sensei turned his back, his version of a dismissal, but it was a good ten seconds before I could stand up. I spent the rest of the day in a daze, hardly believing the old man was sending me away. I packed my stuff - it only took about ten minutes, since I had come with little else besides the clothes on my back. My mind was racing with questions, most of them centered around who my new sensei and fellow pupils would be. _Well, whoever they are, they better not get on my nerves. One wrong move and they're_ history.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**: From here on in, there is no specific point of view, it will all be in third person. Enjoy the chapter. :)  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the TMNT characters or the Usagi characters.

"Meanwhile..."

Having been sent on a vacation of sorts, four brothers could be found in feudal Japan. While Seth was sparring Mikhail, the brothers had paired off with Usagi, Gen, Tomoe, and Chizu. Donatello's match with Chizu ended in a draw; Michelangelo won his match with Tomoe, but just barely; Raphael and Gen went on for more than five minutes before Raph grew reckless and lost. Soon all eyes were on Leonardo and Usagi, still going strong. Both were starting to pant and drip sweat.

"I don't s'pose you'd let me win, eh?" joked Leo. Usagi smiled and swung his sword with so much force that Leo's bones hurt to block it. "I take that as a no." Leo charged and the two were once again a flurry of grunts and metal clangs.

While attempting a complex maneuver he had just learned, Leo let a piece of his guard down. Usagi seized it. Leo's ninjaken flew out of his hand in quick succession. Cold steel rested at the base of his throat; both were panting heavily.

There was complete silence as Usagi and Leo stood there looking into one another's eyes. Usagi saw the steely resolve and deep-seeded honor that made Leonardo so formidable. Leonardo saw a numbness behind Usagi's friendly victory that said he could - and would - waste no time taking advantage of his upper hand with any enemy who pushed him to it.

Usagi smiled and withdrew the potentially terrifying presence of his katana. Leo relaxed and let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He chuckled as Usagi sheathed the katana. "Well fought, Usagi. Of course, you know you only won because I hadn't practiced that last maneuver hardly at all."

Usagi smiled and shook his head. "Please. There were so many holes in your attacks, I lost count. It took a lot of effort to keep myself from embarrassing you too quickly."

The two started walking toward their spectators. "You say you were holding back? Then what was all that sweat and panting, eh? Eh?"

"That was the toll of trying so hard to hold back!" Leo threw back his head and laughed loud and pure.

"Donny! Can you believe this guy?" Leo called. "He won't admit I almost had him beat!"

"You gotta' be kiddin' me, dude!" Donny called back. There was a huge smile plastered on his face; it was rare to see Leo so laid back. "You were totally drivin' him back!" Usagi just shook his head again; these turtles could be so silly outside a fight.

"Hey, Leo!" said Mikey. "Tomoe says there's an excellent ramen shop a couple miles away!" Leo nodded, still smiling. "YEAH!" he exclaimed as he punched the air. He looked at the rest of the group and called, "C'mon! Loser's buyin'!" Mikey laughed and raced down the road, Donny on his heels.

Tomoe was next to follow. "Wait!" she yelled. "You don't even know where it is!"

Chizu smiled and ran after her friends. "C'mon!" she called behind her. "We can't just let Mikey and Don win!"

Gen shrugged, the tiniest of smiles playing on his lips, before he trotted after the motley crew of warriors.

Raphael watched as Gen topped a hill and disappeared over it. Raph turned to look at Leo and Usagi, who were also watching the unfolding race. Leo looked over at him. Raph smiled and shrugged before sprinting past Gen and Chizu. He wasn't foolish enough to pass Tomoe, who knew where she was going.

"May as well," said Usagi. "I'd prefer to save my money." He tagged Leo on the shell and raced up the road.

"Not cool!" called Leo as he chased after the rabbit _ronin_.

As he drew even with his friend, Leo asked, "Were my attacks really full of holes?"

Usagi chuckled and shook. "I did not see them if they were there. You fight well, Leonardo."

"Thank you. And guess what? I'm an even better runner." He practically flew ahead of Usagi, gaining enough ground to run backward and stick out his tongue before turning back around.

"Oh, it's on now!" called Usagi. He poured on the speed to catch up with Leo. _Isn't there some moralistic story like this?_ thought the rabbit.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N**: Well, hopefully I'll get more traffic now that I've got my story in the right place. Lol! So, i'll remind everyone, R&R peeps. :)  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own Master Splinter. (Also, some of this was written by my friend, cuz we were collaborating at the time.)

"Meeting Splinter"

Seth stopped at a street corner to check his sensei's directions again. It had taken him nearly 3 days to get to Manhattan, and now he couldn't find his new sensei's dojo.

He gripped the strap of the backpack on his shoulder as he examined the piece of paper. "Well that doesn't make any sense," he mumbled. "'Look for a covered manhole'? 'It should be in the road to your right'?" Seth looked and, sure enough, there was the manhole. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Alrighty then." He continued reading. "'If - and only if - traffic is sparse, uncover the manhole and descend the ladder, re-covering the opening.'" Seth scowled and grumbled, "Does he think I'm stupid or somethin'? Like I'm gonna walk out in the middle of a busy New York City street and get hit by a car while acing like some kinda' loony." He folded the paper up and jammed it in his pocket.

He grumbled about his sensei's low opinion of him all the way down the ladder, and he was still grumbling when he took out his flashlight. He silently fumed the rest of the way to the dojo.

After about a half mile of turns and twists, he found himself in a huge circular chamber with a ceiling about 75 feet up. There were two stories to it, the top one having four tunnel openings. _Those must be where his pupils stay. I wonder where he'll put me?_ On the first level, where he was, there was a dining table in a kitchen area to his immediate left; to the left of the kitchen were several TVs stacked on top of one another in front of a couch; a bridge over water was in the center of the floor; the only door on the level was to his right; and there was some basic training equipment on the other side of the room. The metal of dumbbells and the smell of leather gloves and a punching bag beckoned to him.

The resident sensei didn't seem to be around, so he honored the call. He walked around the small pond in the center, never taking his eyes from the equipment. His eyes were sparkling with anticipation as he slipped into some gloves on the floor and warmed up his arms. When he felt limber, he went through some simple routines on the heavy bag. Feeling more comfortable with the bag, he started to practice combinations his sensei had just taught him. He was still unsure of his steps, and his blows didn't have much impact; every time he messed up the sequence, he got more and more frustrated. After he had tried and failed over ten times, he yelled and hit the bag for all he was worth with a right cross.

"You must learn to be calm, and keep your frustrations at bay." Seth yelped in surprise at the sound of an old man's voice with a thick Japanese accent. "Keep your shoulders square when you punch, and lead with your feet." Seth turned to face the man, struggling to undo the ties on the gloves as he did so.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was here." Abandoning the battle against the glove ties, Seth looked at the man for the first time. _What in the..._ The "man" was a rat. A talking rat with a gnarled walking stick, wearing a sensei-esque robe thing. He was about a half-foot shorter than Seth's own 5'6".

Seth realized he was staring and apologized. "You, um, you startled me. Uh, my name's...Seth. I'm looking for a Master Splinter. You him?" The rat nodded once.

"I am the sensei you seek, young Seth," the rat said simply with a small smile.  


Seth grunted and abruptly turned back to the punching bag. He began punching at the bag harder than he had been before - every blow to the heavy, sand-filled sack was obviously filled with rage. _My sensei sent me to a __rat__! A _**rat!!** _Is this what he thinks of me? I'll show him my abilities and throw back ten times the amount of training this freak can give._ With that last furry-filled thought, a quick, harsh kick was thrown to the punching bag, making the chain holding it wiggle and bounce.

Fortunately for Master Splinter, Seth's rage didn't seem all too spontaneous - he had another under his training who once lashed out like this. "So much anger..." Master Splinter said calmly, with his arms folded behind his back as he walked closer to Seth, who had paused his attack on the punching bag to straighten it. With his hands - still visibly trembling in anger and frustration - on the punching bag, Seth took a moment while catching his breath to look down to the sensei standing at his side. _Let's see if he wants me now. He'll only be...what? The seventh sensei to turn me away?_ thought Seth bitterly. The sagely rodent brought his cane in front of him, and with both paws planted it lightly on the stone floor, creating an eerie echo in the darkness and silence of the dojo. There was a visible tension between the two - a tension on two very different sides indeed. Splinter looked up at Seth with his funny face and gave him a small smile. Seth was still recovering, and breathing hard from his previous attack on the bag, but he really had no idea what to make of the smile his new sensei had given him. A confused and somewhat frightened look arose on Seth's face and the more this expression deepened, the more Master Splinter seemed to be amused and threatened to let a chuckle go free. Master Splinter lowered his head and turned away from Seth. Composure restored, he said, "...One cannot successfully fight in anger, until he learns to control it as a dam controls its powerful raging waters." With that comment, Splinter limped away with the tentative cane that identified his every step, even in the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N**: I was gonna break this up into smaller pieces, but then the pieces were really disconnected and short, so, longer chapter this time. ;)  
**Disclaimer**: Don't own TMNT characters.

"Training and Turtles"

_They're in on it together, the rat and sensei,_ Seth thought, oddly calm. _Trying to get me to 'control my anger.' Humph. Good luck with_ that.

Seth delivered a punch-kick combination he'd learned on the streets to the stilled bag. ("There's nothing worse than the sound of a silent bag chain," he'd said once.) It was a sure fire way to severely injure an opponent who couldn't block fast enough. Seth had learned to perfect it quickly.

He didn't know who he was mad at, but the bag caught his blows at full force. The last skull-shattering kick in the combo busted it open.

"KUSO!!" Seth whisper-yelled, along with some choice expletives. He looked around frantically for the wrapping cloth used for just such occasions. If it was there, it was too dark for him to spot in the dim lighting. "RRARGH!"

He ran yelling to the oriental door he assumed led to Splinter's quarters. "Hey! Master Rat! Your equipment can't take a bloody punch!!"

**--later--**

Seth spent his first night in Manhattan on the couch. He had been too tired to explore the rooms upstairs. One hour after drifting off, he woke up to a sudden rush of cold air. The blanket he'd pulled down from the couch's back had performed a vanishing trick. He groaned and sat up, hugging his knees. He had chill bumps and was shivering slightly. His eyelids were already drooping. "What do you _waaant?_" he whined.

"It is time to begin your training, Seth," came the rat's reply.

"Jesus, Splinter! I'm jet lagged! It's 9 PM after a long day back in Japan!! It's time to _sleep_, not train." Seth tried to snatch the blanket back, but Splinter was too fast.

"A sword cannot attain its full strength until it has been tempered by the smith's hammer."

"What _sword?_ Just gimme back the blanket. " Seth was far too tired to understand Master Splinter's proverbial metaphors.

Master Splinter tapped Seth on the head with his cane as a warning. "Training. Now."

Seth's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in resigned annoyance. He glared at Splinter, then slowly stood up. He rubbed his face, trying to wake up. "Fine. Don't blame me if I fall asleep in the middle of it, though."

"There are breakfast foods in the kitchen. Training will begin in one hour."

Seth was tempted to take the hour for sleep, but shuffled over to the kitchen instead. He knew he would need the fuel for later. He found eggs, a skillet, bacon, and an almost-empty bag of bread. Soon the bacon was hissing, the eggs were frying, and the bread was toasting. He found a clean-looking glass and some orange juice, and poured some to drink while his food finished.

When it did, he piled everything onto his plate. "No gravy," he mumbled. "What's a breakfast without gravy?" He did his best not to scarf down his food, but it was an uphill battle he soon lost; he hadn't eaten since the five complimentary bags of peanuts almost 10 hours ago. Still hungry after his eggs and bacon, he rummaged around for some cereal. He found four boxes on top of the fridge, all almost empty. _I'll get some more later,_ he thought as he pulled down a box of Peanut Butter Crunch. He ate two bowls before he finally felt sated.

He checked the clock. _Geez. I took 30 minutes to eat? That's a little long..._ He looked around the room, taking in his surroundings, when his eyes fell on the TVs again. _I should probably go stretch, but those TVs are lookin' a lot better right now..._

**--20 minutes later--**

Splinter walked in to check on Seth, only to find him sitting on the floor in the butterfly stretch, watching TV.

"You could be stretching, Seth. You only have ten minutes before your training begins."

"I am stretching," he replied, even though the butterfly was the only stretch he'd done for the past 20 minutes. "Don't worry. If I get cramps in my sides, and my muscles get wicked sore, I'll know it's my own fault." His eyes never left the screen; he was watching a morning game show. Splinter just shook his head and walked away.

Seth looked over his shoulder to make sure Master Splinter was out of sight. Reassured, he began to stretch every muscle he could. _Like I'm not gonna' stretch at all,_ he thought with a smirk. He stifled a yawn and continued. _I'll just let him think I can do great without stretching._ In ten minutes, Seth was thoroughly limber, and Master Splinter summoned him to one of the training rooms.

**--3 days later--**

Three days later, the Hamato brothers returned. Michelangelo, per usual, was just delivering a punch line: "Cuatro cinco!! Get it??" He laughed loudly, genuinely amused at his own joke. Raphael showed no reaction to it other than criticism and numbed annoyance; Donatello chuckled and kept his scientific analysis of the physics of the punch line to himself. Leonardo smiled so slightly it was imperceptible.

The four walked into the empty chamber and looked around; their sensei was nowhere to be seen. What they did see, however, was cleanliness. The empty pizza boxes were missing, the kitchen was practically sparkling, the video games had been alphabetically organized and put away, the heavy bag had a fresh wrapping; everything was immaculate.

"Woooah," said Mikey. "Who let the cleaning fairy in?"

"My sons," came Splinter's elderly baritone as he entered from his room. "Welcome home. How was your vacation?"

"Wonderful, Sensei," replied Leo, smiling and bowing. "Thank you for the time off." The others nodded and smiled their agreement.

Splinter took a few seconds to look at his sons and pupils. He had missed them the past 2 weeks. Then, satisfied with the mostly unspoken reunion, Splinter beckoned Seth forth. He had been leaning against the wall outside Splinter's door. The shadows had concealed him as he sized up the mutants with folded arms. When Splinter called him forward, he unfolded his arms and promptly slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Hey."

"This is Seth," Splinter said, unaware of the awkward, staring silence between his sons and Seth. "He will be training with you for a while." Donny and Leo were the first to recover; they introduced themselves and shook Seth's hand, welcoming him. Raphael did not move at all, but ran Seth up and down with his eyes, assessing him. Michelangelo stepped up, but didn't introduce himself. He stood there, cocking his head from side to side, looking at Seth like a puzzle.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Seth asked, slightly smirking.

Mikey scratched his head and replied, "You don't look like the kind of guy who cleans and organizes."

Seth's smiling eyes lost their sparkle. "What's your name, turtle?" His voice was coated with poorly hidden disdain. Mikey's voice lost its carefree lilt as he introduced himself by his full name. "Well, Michelangelo, let me tell you something." He took his hands out of his pockets and walked forward until his left shoulder almost touched Mikey's right. Seth leaned in and whispered, "I don't like you. I'd suggest you stay out of my way while I'm here." Seth stared into Mikey's confused and possibly offended eyes before shoving past him. Raphael watched everything without saying a word.

Mikey turned to Leo and Donny after Seth had disappeared into a tunnel. "What just happened here? Did I say something wrong?"

"Maybe he just sees you for the idiot you are," chimed Raph.

"Raph," said Leo in that warning tone that drove Raphael up walls.

"Don't 'Raph' me, Leo. Mikey's the least productive of all of us. I'm just sayin' the new guy might see more than meets the eye; he doesn't ignore what he knows." Raphael glared at Leo before going up to his room.

"Home sweet home," said Mikey. Leo shook his head at how quickly things had become tense. "So, should one of us go after him? Um, Seth?"

"No," said Splinter. "He will come back. If he does not by supper, I will go after him." The turtles nodded, then went up to their rooms to rest.

**A/N**: ZOMG, i JUST realized that i don't have the next part ready!! D: ...fear not. ...i'll get it done. ...it just might be a day or so before it goes up. (not that i have any readers addicted to the story yet anyway...)


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Sorry It's been so long!! School reared its ugly head and I had to take care of its demands. :P Which was slightly convenient, given my writer's block status for so many days... But! I am back, and hopefully updates will be more frequent now. :) At least for a while. ;)  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own the TMNT.

"Sewer Thoughts"

_God, that was a stupid thing to do_, Seth thought as he strode through the sewer tunnels, not really caring where he was going. _Completely irrational. Why did I do that?? Mikhail. Something about that turtle – Michelangelo – reminds me of Mikhail. Maybe that's why I hated him so soon…_

_It doesn't matter_. _I've gotten the point across that they can't mess with me, none of them. I don't take crap from mutants who don't even freakin' _know _me. _His anger swelled and manifested in a punch to the wall. He pulled away his fist, a dull ache in his bones. His fist opened and he examined the skin covering his knuckles. In the dim light he could see they were red, but not busted. His previous anger returned, and he struck the wall again. And again. And again. He kept punching at the dirty wall until his hands cried out against the abuse. He yielded and smacked the wall with the soft side of his fist, turning his back to the wall and letting himself slide down its side.

_Why am I like this? Why do I get so angry so quickly?_ He shrugged. _It's what got me sent here, so I guess I'll have to fix it to go back._ He sighed. _Well, I guess a shrink would ask me about my childhood. Well, for your information, monsieur shrink, my childhood was about as happy as a pile of dung. My father was an abusive drunk and my mother didn't care. 'Did your father ever beat you?' Ha. No. But sometimes I wish that was his brand of abuse. Nah, he only smacked me once or twice. Usually he just called me names and told me I was a failure and an idiot. Turns out he was right, in some respects. 'Is it possible that your outburst had something to do with this verbal abuse? Was something said that would trigger those memories and, consequently, feelings of aggression?' …I don't think so. Well, wait, Mike commented about my cleaning up things. He was challenging my manliness. So, testosterone. Proving my manliness, yeah? Let's just go with that. 'I think that there is another reason for your outburst, but we are out of time anyway. Until next time.' Great. Yeah._

_God, I'm weird._ Seth let his head rest against the back of the wall and slowly started to thump his head against it, slowly and rhythmically. He was trying to clear out the swirling thoughts that kept coming back to his father. _That's behind me,_ he told himself. _Stop thinking about him, Seth. Just stop it._ Thump. Thump. Thump. _My life sucks…_ Thump. Thump.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: Don't own the TMNT. (Is there a rule somewhere that says we have to put this discmlaimer before every story that uses copyrighted characters?)

"Seth and Splinter"

The minutes and hours ticked by, and still Seth did not return. Finally, around 5:30 PM, Splinter told Mikey, Leo, and Don to start dinner while he went to find Seth. Leo offered to assist his sensei, but Splinter declined. "He is reckless and volatile. I think it would be best if I spoke with him alone," he said. Leo nodded and turned to help his brothers cook, even though he knew the menu would narrow down to pizza.

--

Splinter's tapping cane echoed along the sewer walls. He did not know where Seth had gone, but he knew how to think like Seth so that he could find him. Raphael had pulled similar stunts in his childhood.

The sagely rat turned a few times before he heard the faint echo of a distant thumping. He followed the sound deeper into New York's sewer system. Finally, after ten minutes had passed, Splinter found his pupil sitting against the grimy wall, his knees held to his chest. Seth's arms were resting limply on his kneecaps and Splinter could see the blood trickling from Seth's knuckles. Splinter looked at the wall above Seth's head and saw the blood splatters; Seth had punched the wall until he bled. Splinter turned his eyes back to Seth and watched as he bumped his head against the wall behind him. That repetitive action had been the source of the thudding echo that had guided Splinter there.

Splinter shook his head in a combination of pity and disappointment before he tap-stepped his way in front of Seth's sitting form. Seth's face was blank and he neither looked up nor ceased his head thumping. Splinter scowled slightly at his pupil's stubbornness. "You have been gone long enough, Seth," the elder began. "It is time for you to come home." Seth stopped bumping his head and slowly lifted his face. His eyes were rimmed red and they were sad, vacant.

"Home," Seth intoned. "Home is not here. Home is not back there with you and your freak family. Home is not even in this country, this side of the world. I belong back in Japan, Master Splinter. I belong with my Sensei." Seth turned his head to look at the ground by his side. "But my sensei doesn't want me." He looked back up at Splinter. "What makes you any different? Why should I go back with you, of all...things? Why shouldn't I just go above ground, out of this stinking sewer, and start a normal life? No training, no mutants, no family. Just me and my _homo sapien_ self, makin' it in the human world." Seth's eyes held Splinter's steady gaze, but twitched back and forth as though he was searching for something in the brown depths of the old rat's irises.

Splinter leaned on his staff and made himself comfortable there. "I cannot force you to stay, Seth, and I will not try. But I think you will come back, because you have not already left. I believe you wish to continue here. Whether it is out of curiosity or boredom or a desire to obey your Sensei, I do not know."

Splinter looked in the general direction of his home. He thought of his sons and knew from experience that Michelangelo and Donatello had given up on a proper dinner by now; Michelangelo was probably placing a memorized pizza order to their favorite pizza parlor; Leonardo would try to make something suitable to go with the green tea he would make for his sensei; and Raphael would still be in up in his room, training or sleeping. "My sons are making dinner. But they do not cook well, so it will be pizza." Splinter hoped that if Seth knew a few things about the turtles he would be more inclined to stay with them. "Michelangelo will order a chocolate marshmallow ice cream with asparagus on top." Seth almost vomited, but managed to only make a face and cough. Splinter did not seem to notice. "Donatello will order his with mushrooms, pineapple, green bell peppers, honey ham, and no sauce. Leonardo's will have a mixture of exotic vegetables and meats; he is always trying faraway flavors. Lately he likes papaya, lychee, fennel, Italian beef, and tofu. Raphael will probably want pepperoni with yellow peppers."

"Your sons...are insane. Those toppings are mostly disgusting," said Seth, his voice completely level and emotionless. Splinter chuckled, easing the tension that had been lingering. Seth smiled.

"Yes, they have unusual taste. I have gotten used to it."

Seth was relaxing now, and he asked Splinter, "What about you? Do you eat pizza?"

"Sometimes. Mostly I eat noodles and other simple meals. Green tea, rice, and miso soup can be quite filling." Seth softened, and he felt kind of sorry for the old rat master. Was that all he ate? He figured the turtles did fine with pizza and whatever they had in the kitchen, but the rat needed something more than rice and miso soup. _Maybe I can go grocery shopping soon,_ he thought.

Seth was still sitting. He knew that he needed to go back to the lair, much as the thought made him want to run away. He collected the thoughts that had been running through his head for the past few hours and tucked them safely away in a locked drawer he had reserved for depressing feelings. That done, he slowly stood up. He winced at the stiffness in his legs and back. His knuckles and head weren't doing so hot either. He stretched them out a bit and said, "Guess we'd better get back then. Wouldn't want to miss the gourmet pizza." The evenness of Seth's voice made his dry humor more effective, and Splinter smiled again. Seth had recovered this time. There was much work to do before he would be an effective ninja, but Splinter believed that, like all his sons, Seth had the potential to be the best. And together they walked back through the dank tunnels, tapping and stepping, the mutated rat and a wayward teen.

A/N: Huh. I just realized that, if I wanted to, I COULD end the story right here. :) But I think in novels - even if they don't ever get very far - so I won't quit now. ;)


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**: I don't own any TMNT. Just Seth.

"Brawl"

As Seth walked in, he glanced at Leo - Don and Mikey had gone to pick up the pizzas - then continued on to the shower. The wall he'd been leaning against was completely mossy and very slimy, and his open wounds were starting to worry him. The sooner he got clean, the better. Seth was conscious of Leo's eyes tracking him until Leo turned his attention to Splinter. Seth kept walking.

Since his arrival 4 days ago, Seth had taken only one shower. The freezing cold water made the experience almost intolerable, and he had to steel himself before steeping in. He gasped in shock and started bathing as fast as possible. He had more or less finished in two minutes.

Donatello and Mikey had returned with the pizzas when Seth walked into the main chamber. He was uncertain of how he would be received after his outburst earlier, so he stayed in the shadows, debating whether or not to step forward.

His growling stomach betrayed him. His hand shot to the source, trying to quell its groans, but he had been heard. "Hey! New guy!" called Mikey in his typical carefree tone. "Better hurry and get some before you starve." Seth was surprised; he had assumed that Mikey would be mad at him.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he walked up to the table. Three of the four available pizzas made Seth gag, Raphael's being the only bearable one. "Will Raphael mind if I take some of his?" he asked.

"Naaah," said Mikey. "Besides, it'll be cold before he GETS HIS TAIL DOWN HERE!" Mikey called up the stairs. He laughed and turned his attention to Seth. "See? You can take as much as you like."

Seth nodded and picked up two slices of pepperoni-and-pineapple pizza. He separated himself from the three brothers and sat on the sofa arm. The turtles proceeded to congregate around him, forcing him to keep company with them. Seth didn't mind; it gave him more time to size them up. Raphael descended about twenty minutes later, looking bedraggled and tired. He gave Seth a look, flicking his eyes up and down. Seth reciprocated the gaze and barely raised an eyebrow, as if challenging the red-bandanna-d reptile. He felt like he was engaging in pre-fight intimidation, a common practice before things come to blows. He decided it was time to see what these turtles were made of; this one looked to be the best representation of strength in the room. Reverting back to his street tactics, Seth smirked and said, "See somethin' you like, Miss?"

Raph's anger flashed in his eyes as he strode over to the sofa. "What was that??" he demanded. Leo, sensing Raph's intentions of a fight, jumped up and blocked his path. Raph looked around Leo at Seth. "Say it again, boy! Say it again!"

Seth hopped off the sofa arm, delighted with this turn of events. He loved it when they took the bait. "My, my. So defensive! Got somethin' to hide, beautiful?" He took a step toward Raph, who was now being restrained by Leo. Don and Mikey jumped in, Mikey blocking Seth, and Don standing near the middle, trying to make peace.

"C'mon, guys," Donny said. "He didn't mean anything by it, Raph. He was just messin' around."

Seth scoffed at Don. "'Course I meant it!" He looked at Raph as he said, "Just callin' it like I see it, gorgeous."

Raph's face was burning with red rage as he fought to get away from Leo. Leo was trying to talk him down, but Raphael was deaf to all pleas. Finally he turned his attention to Leo long enough to say, "Get out of my WAY, Leo!!" and send him stumbling back. Raph yelled as he charged Seth like a bull.

Seth stepped aside and Raph ran past. Seth laughed and said, "Aw, c'mon, Raphy. Can't we settle this like gentlemen?"

"Shuddap!" Raph shouted as he rounded on Seth once again, going into battle mode.

Seth jumped as he parried a punch. "You're right. Ladies first."

Raphael screamed in frustration. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU, PUNK!!"

Seth's face had become serious and focused; he was ready to fight. He stepped toward Raph and lifted his hands, baring his chest. "Bring it, freak." If it were possible, steam would've blown out Raph's ears. They came at each other, each ready to pummel the other into the ground.

Donny jumped between them, holding his arms out in a halt. "Wait!" he cried. The two teens did, but they didn't look patient. "If you guys insist on fighting, at least do it properly." He had their attention. Don lowered his arms a little and continued. "We'll go to the sparring room and do this honorably." The two looked at each other, paused, and nodded. They would go.

Don smiled and relaxed. All five of them started toward the sparring room, Donatello walking abreast of Raph and Seth, keeping them separated, with Leo and Mikey leading the way. Suddenly, Raph and Seth were on the ground, fighting. Both of them had stopped walking for just a step so that Donny wouldn't be between them. Then they had lunged at each other.

Leo told Don to run get Splinter while he and Mikey tried to break it up. The two nodded, and Don ran to get Master Splinter. Leo and Mikey waited until either Raph or Seth was on top so they could drag whichever one off. Seth was the first one to surface. Leo and Mikey each hooked an arm around a shoulder and grabbed a fistful of t-shirt, yanking him away from Raph. When there was some space between the fighters, Leo jumped on top of his brother to keep the two apart. Both Seth and Raphael were fiercely fighting their captors, both in vain.

"STOP THIS! Stop this at ONCE!" Splinter commanded. He had come as soon as he heard from Don; the elder's anger made him move twice as fast. When the struggling teens heard his authoritative tone, they stopped everything and turned to look at him. "Raphael, Seth. Follow me immediately!" Splinter dug his eyes into the two as he addressed them, then turned sharply and walked back toward his room.

"Get offa me, Leo!" "Back off, man." Raph and Seth shoved away their captors, who were more than willing to oblige. After the two hotheads passed between them, Mikey, Leo, and Don drew close together.

"Dude, I think we're gonna have a problem," Mikey whispered.

"I agree," Leo said as he nodded. They watched Raph and Seth almost come to blows again. "I think they're too much alike to reconcile, and different enough to be at each other's throats more than _we_ are." Leo was referring to his tense relationship with Raphael. "And they'll always try to solve it with fighting." The three simultaneously sighed in weary anticipation as Raph and Seth disappeared behind Master Splinter's traditional paper screen door.

**A/N**: Goodness me. This always strikes me as kind of randomly timed, but I can't see how else it would work out... Besides. Future things hinge on that fight... What did you think? Was it random? Confusing? Just fine? What??


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: For all the Splinter fans out there, sorry if I've misrepresented him here. :P For everyone reading this, yes, my character development isn't very good. But I'm working on it.  
Disclaimer: Don't own the TMNT.

"Consequences"

"Kneel." Splinter's voice was unusually terse and clipped. It put Raphael and Seth on edge; they glanced at each other and obeyed. They waited for Splinter to address them, but all that greeted them was his back. If they had been able to see his front, they would have seen Splinter with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm his thoughts. For a long time no one said anything.

Finally, "Seth, tell me what happened." Splinter still had not turned around.

"Um, Raphael walked in to get pizza," Seth began. "Then he looked at me weird and I asked him if he saw something he liked. He got offended, as I'd intended, and we got into a verbal fight. It escalated and then we were about to throw punches. Um, then, the one with the staff stopped us and tried to get us to go along to the sparring room to at least be proper about it. I don't know about Raphael, but I was going along with it just to get them to butt out. As we were walking, me and Raph dodged the kind of guard the other three had set up around us and we ended up ground fighting. Then the sword guy pinned Raph after two of 'em - I don't know which ones, probably Swords and Mike - pulled me offa him. Uh, then... then you came in."

There was a pause before Splinter said, still with his back to them, "Raphael, do you have anything to add or correct?"

"Nah." His voice was subdued. He hadn't expected Seth to reveal the details that clearly placed the fault on himself. "Just that I was thinkin' the same thing as Seth when we dodged Donny and the guard."

There was another long pause as Splinter thought about what to do. He came to a decision almost three elongated minutes later, and turned to face his son and his new student. "Seth." The boy held Splinter's steely gaze for a moment, but quickly crumbled and looked away. "I had expected more from you. You have disappointed me greatly."

Seth wanted more than anything to look up and tell Master Splinter that their conversation earlier hadn't fallen on deaf ears, that Seth hadn't meant to hurt him in any way. Instead he clenched his jaw and kept his pain inside. _Christ,_ he thought. _Everything I do hurts the ones I might love._ He cursed in his thoughts, biting his lip as he did so. _Dad was right. I'm a failure at everything. And who wants a failure around? I should just leave. Maybe Sensei will take me back..._

"Raphael." Splinter had moved on. Now his eyes betrayed his feelings of frustrated parental love. "How many times must I tell you that there is no fighting outside of training? What is it that goes through your head when I correct you? Do you listening at all?"

"Master, I--" Raphael started, but was cut off.

"No." Splinter held up his hand to Raphael to emphasize the order to stop talking. Raphael's jaw stopped moving, then slowly returned to its starting point. Splinter took a breath, preparing to deliver his decision on the matter. "Since it would seem that you two need more time to get to know one another, you will be sparring partners. You will room together and you will train together. Neither of you will be permitted to play the videogames, use the computers for unnecessary purposes, or watch the televisions."

Both boys were stung by the new arrangements. Seth spoke up and asked, eyes still not looking at anything in particular, "How long?"

"As long as is necessary." Seth cursed in his thoughts again; Raphael was doing the same. Splinter turned his back to them again, a signal of his dismissal.

Raphael and Seth looked at each other, then at Master Splinter, then slowly got up from their kneeling positions and exited. Both wanted to say something to the other, but neither really knew what to say, and neither wanted to risk starting another fight so soon. Their encounter with Master Splinter had left them feeling sheepish and awkward around each other for the time being.

Seth tossed his backpack into a corner of Raphael's room. He made a slow scan of the furnishings – all exercise equipment and one low bed. He thought of remarking on this, but figured anything said right now could escalate to another showdown. _Another time, maybe,_ he thought. Instead he rolled out a worn blanket that looked as if it might have once been white. He stuffed everything else he had into his backpack and made a pillow out of it. Still in his clothes, Seth began to crawl under the blanket, when he noticed Raph staring at him. Seth stared back, knowing what Raph must have been thinking, wondering if the turtle would say anything about it. "Well? What're ya starin' at?" he asked. There was no aggression in his voice, only defense.

Raph kept staring, but he seemed more aware of it now. "You wanna futon or sumthin'?"

Seth's eyes leveled and his face became solid. "No, thank you," he said icily. "This room is far cozier than what I'm used to," he lied. "I think I'll manage just this one night." He rolled his eyes and rolled over so that he was facing away from Raph. It was true that he'd spent several nights outside on the streets, but he had always managed to find some place inside when the nights got cold. Besides that, he had grown accustomed to at least a simple bed and a bit of central heating at his Master's dojo. _Damn it, I'm pampered now!_ he thought as he resisted the urge to curl up into a ball of his own body heat; Raph might have still been watching. _It's so cold and dank down here. How can they stand it? Well… I guess living somewhere for a while gets ya used to it. I'm proof o' that._

Raphael stared at Seth's back for a while longer before laying down himself. _A street rat, eh? Maybe he's tougher than I thought. Sure explains more dan it don't._ He didn't think about it much longer, just went to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Good thing this next portion is so long, cuz I was DEFINITELY inactive longer than i'd anticipated, lol. Hope this makes up for it. :) But pretty soon I'll run out of pre-typed story and have to actually get back into the creative part of this, so updates will be few and far between once that happens. Blame school. /  
**Disclaimer:** If I owned any TMNT characters, their representations here wouldn't be so flawed. Back off.

About four or five hours later, Raphael slipped out of the room and made his way silently down the stairs. He grabbed his trench coat and hat, ready to go protect the innocents of Manhattan. Seth was awakened as soon as Raphael swung his mutated legs over the side of the bed; Seth had learned a long time ago to be a heavy sleeper that could wake up at the slightest sound of movement. The skill had served him well on the streets, and even back at Master's dojo – some of the mutants there had some kind of vendetta against Seth, and he had no idea why; he just protected himself when they came in the night.

As soon as he heard Raph stop descending stairs, Seth walked out the door and to the railing. He looked down in time to see Raph – or a moving shadow he assumed was Raph – exit the lair. "Whatever," Seth muttered under his breath. He walked back into the room and decided he might as well take a look around since he was awake. "Geez, it's dark. Doesn't he have a flashlight or sumthin'? Wait, there's one in my backpack. Forgot about that…" He groped along the wall until he was back to his ground pallet, then felt around in his backpack for the flashlight. His fingers closed around it and pulled it up and out. He flicked the switch and squinted at the sudden rush of light. When he had adjusted, he stood up and began looking around. "Man, does this guy do anything besides train? It really is all exercise equipment… what's he trying to prove?" A thought occurred to him, and it struck a nerve he thought he had buried a long time ago. "Or trying to escape…" He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and kept looking around. The only interesting thing he found in the entire room was a stash of magazines that almost gave him a nosebleed. He flipped through one of them, then put them all back where he found them, making sure he marked their location in his mind.

He walked back to the center of the room to think about what to do now that he was thoroughly awake. "Hm. Maybe I can find those training rooms Staff was taking us to earlier." He covered his flashlight with his free hand and made his way downstairs, letting out a sliver of light so he wouldn't trip. He still managed to stumble the last two steps and barely keep himself from falling on the ground. He cursed and uncovered the flashlight, shining it around. He spotted the couch where the day's excitement had started, and started toward it. "Okay, so we were here… Then Staff was right there… And then we walked this way…" He started toward the doors he and Raph had been led to. He stopped when he got to where the second fight had broken out. "We were going this way, I think," he said to himself, pointing the flashlight down the corridor. He walked that way.

Soon he came to a door that preceded a large glass window/wall. He looked inside with his flashlight and saw what appeared to be a training room. There was a smaller glass window/wall on the other end, and he thought he saw a booth behind it. "Wonder what that's for…" He stepped over to the door and tried the handle. It was open. "Well that was easy. Didn't even have to pick it." He stepped inside and felt along the wall for a light switch. He found several and flipped up the one closest to him. It turned on the booth light – it was indeed a booth – but that was enough to see the switch panel he was touching. He turned off his flashlight and started flipping switches. He finally found the light switch for the room and…… was greatly unimpressed. "This? This is _it?_" He stepped onto the traditional Japanese sparring mat and looked around, trying to find anything that made this room special. "Maybe the training materials are in the booth, or a closet or something." Since he didn't see a closet, he tried the booth handle. It was locked. He looked inside its viewing window, but couldn't see anything that he expected to find. He stepped back over to the door and considered picking its lock. "Where are the weapons? The uniforms? Those stupid little balancing bamboo sticks? Do they just spar in here and nothing else? Surely not… They all have weapons. They have to practice with them somehow… So where are the practice versions of their weapons??" Too confused to think straight, Seth forgot about the door's lock and walked back to the entrance. "Maybe there's some locked closet I can't see that Monsieur Rat will open up tomorrow," he said, giving mock respect to Splinter. He turned off the booth and the main light, switched his flashlight back on, and went back to the ground floor of the lair.

In no particular rush to do anything at all, he made a slow scan of the area, trying to find something to occupy the time until dawn. _Like there's any concept of time down here, _he thought. _Not even a clock._ His beam fell on the kitchen, and he walked over to it. He looked at the pathetic supply of food the cupboards contained, and the almost-empty cereal boxes atop the fridge. "I think I put away some paper in one of these drawers…" he muttered to himself. He opened and closed a few drawers until he found the one with paper, pens, and other miscellaneous office items. He took out a sheet of paper and tried a few pens to find one that worked. Successful, he sat down at the table and started work on a grocery list.

An hour of list-making, video game straightening, and general puttering around later, Seth heard some movement from upstairs. It was coming from the opposite end of the chamber as Raphael's room. Seth looked up and saw a dim light – possibly candlelight – from one of the turtles' rooms. "Wonder who that is," he muttered. Then he turned back toward the main entrance at the sound of someone coming in. It was Raph; he was hanging up his coat and hat. Seth hadn't turned on any lights, and his flashlight had been off since his eyes adjusted, so Raph didn't see him. Seth watched as Raph looked up to the candlelit room, and then made his way back up the stairs. He stumbled into his room, and presumably onto his bed. Seth smirked. "Bet he doesn't even know I'm not in there." He looked back up at the candle lit room and saw a turtle shadow start to move inside, and figured now would be a good time to get back to the room.

Seth tread as lightly as possible over to his pallet on the floor, tucked his flashlight back into his backpack, yawned, and curled up under his blanket. Even though he was tired now, it still took him almost an hour to nod off; his brain kept coming up with new things to think about, his grocery list the main one among them. He was trying to think out how to go above ground without smelling like sewer, how to get the money for the food, how he could steal it if he couldn't get the money, and a myriad of other complications. At last he gave up on trying to think straight, and just went to sleep.

Roughly an hour later he was awoken by the other three turtle brothers puttering around downstairs. Seth opened his eyes groggily and mumbled to himself, "What the hell is it now?" He inhaled deeply, trying to gather the oxygen he needed to wake up. He pushed off his blanket and sat up, stretching. He looked over to Raph. "How did I not wake up to that snoring?" Seth shook his head and walked out to the railing and looked down. The others were awake and starting their breakfasts. He folded his arms on the rail and let his head rest on them. "You've got to be kidding me. I stayed up almost all night??" He moaned and trudged back into Raph's room. Seth picked out one of his cleaner t-shirts and changed into it. He put on his shoes and ran a hand through his hair a few times, noting that there was no mirror to be seen. _Come to think of it, I haven't seen a mirror at all down here. Guess no one else has to worry about bed head._ He considered grabbing a jacket out of his pack as well, but decided he might as well get used to the constant slight chill. Movement would warm him up soon enough. He packed his blanket back into his backpack, zipped it shut, and headed downstairs past the still-sleeping Raph.

On his journey down the steps, Seth's attitude changed from one of a tired teen to that of a tired teen with his defenses up against any slight to his honor. The three turtles he was approaching – and possibly their sensei – were who he blamed for the whole situation, including last night's incident. As far as he was concerned, he wanted nothing to do with them, and that's what he would show them. He walked in and heard a few greetings that he ignored. The rat wasn't there yet. "Coffee?" he asked, not making eye contact or directing the question to anyone in particular.

"Yeah. There's some grounds in that cupboard there," replied Donatello. He pointed at the cupboard and Seth walked over to it. He didn't thank Don or say anything else, just grabbed the grounds, found the cup measurer, and started a pot of coffee. He walked over to the edge of the counter and leaned against it, staring off into space while he waited for the coffee to brew. The brothers stared at him for a moment, and then returned to their own breakfasts.

Before the coffee had finished, Splinter step-tapped into the kitchen to the sounds of welcome from his sons that were present. The sagely rat of course noticed Seth standing alone and seemingly indifferent, but did nothing to try and bring him to join the group. He knew enough from experience that Seth simply wouldn't do it, and it would only make him feel more conflicted about refusing his latest authority figure. So Splinter set about making some morning tea while he made small talk with his sons. When it was finished, he poured the steaming caffeinated liquid into a plain cup and sat down at the table. He continued to make small talk as the steam escaped from his cup, all the while thinking of how to let Seth know that he wasn't invisible. During a break in the conversation, he looked over to Seth. "Seth, could you please bring me the sugar?" Leo, Don, and Mikey looked at each other in slight confusion; since when did Splinter put sugar in his tea?

Seth did not notice the turtles' silent confusion. He looked at the rat, then looked on the counter for the sugar. He unfolded his arms and grabbed the small jar, pulled out a spoon from one of the drawers, and handed both to Splinter. A "thank you" hit his back as he walked back over to his place, where he proceeded to settle himself once more. From that point until he had poured his coffee and added creamer and sugar – which he had to get back from Splinter, and therefore ask Splinter if he was done with it – he found himself listening in on the morning conversation between the four. _Psh,_ he thought as he walked over to the couch with his mug of coffee. _What kind of sensei puts sugar in his tea? I thought they all drank it plain and boring, so that it matches their training sessions._ He lifted his own spirits with that thought, and took a satisfied sip of his coffee. It tasted weird – he blamed the tap water he had used – but it still woke him up, and it didn't taste terrible. When he had finished, he put the mug in the sink, filled it with water, and walked back over to the sofa to sprawl out on it. He had absolutely nothing else to do until Splinter decided to call him to training. _I wonder when Raph will come down. I sure ain't wakin' that jerk up. Swords seems to be that anal holier-than-thou type; maybe he'll wake him up._

Seth let several minutes pass in mental silence, the mutant family behind him still eating and talking, before his mind pointed him back to the grocery list in his pocket. That was something he could do. He pulled out the folded up piece of paper and unfolded it, keeping it as silent as possible. (He didn't know why, but he just didn't want anyone to know he had a grocery list.) For the next several minutes, long past the background conversations had died down, Seth lay there, list in hand, planning how to get this done without anyone knowing he was doing it. When Seth had almost finished with the fine details of his plan, Raph finally came stumbling down the stairs. Seth sat up and looked at Raph, just to make sure it was actually sleeping beauty himself, then lay back down. He heard Raph pour some cereal into a bowl, then start eating. Judging by the lack of comment about his lateness to arrive, Seth figured that this was part of the daily routine around here. Seth folded the paper back up and returned it to his pocket; all that he had left to do was to wait for a summons of some sort to start the day's training.

Seth was starting to nod off when: "Seth, Raphael." _Took you long enough,_ thought Seth as he sat up and looked at Master Splinter, waiting for him to continue. "Please follow me to the sparring room."

Splinter was almost out the door before Seth finally got up and strode over to catch up. Raphael had been quicker to follow, so Seth was in the back. Well, technically in Raphael's right side blind spot; Seth had found that walking where he was almost level with someone but still unseen unnerved the one he was shadowing, and made it much easier to gain a mental advantage. Raphael heard Seth's footsteps behind him. He turned to look to his left, then jumped when he checked his right and found Seth right there. Raph put some space between them so that Seth wouldn't be in his blind spot anymore. They stood silent as Splinter opened the door and flipped up the correct switches to light both the booth and the main room. _That would've been handy earlier,_ thought Seth, remembering the time he had spent on flipping all the switches in search of the right ones. _Wonder what all the others go to…_ He reached out to try flipping some of the switches again, just to see if something happened, but halted his movement when Splinter's voice called out. "Seth. We are waiting." Seth looked and saw both mutants already in the center of the room. He lowered his hand and joined them without looking back at the switches.

A few paces later, Seth stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged, silently asking, 'Okay. What now?' "We will begin with the partner ukemis. Raphael, do you remember them all?"

"Most of 'em, yeah."

"Good. You will teach Seth. I will watch." Master Splinter walked off the raised mat floor that made up most of the room and made himself comfortable on his cane. It was obvious that Raphael wanted to argue against his father's command, but he wisely decided against it.

"Fine," he said, turning to look at Seth. He smiled mischievously and said, "My pleasure."

"Watch yourself, mutant," whispered Seth. He smiled lopsidedly, almost sneered.

"Please," he whispered back. "I take out street trash like you on a more 'n regular basis.

"Okay," Raph said, raising his voice so that Splinter would be able to hear the instructions he was about to give. "Um, first one, ya get down on yo' hands 'n' knees – yeah, like dat. Now ya take your outside hand – yeah – and give it to me on dis side." They clasped hands. "Now I'm gonna yank straight up and you'll spin, so make sure ya slap da ground when ya come back down, else you'll get da wind knocked outta ya. Ready?" Seth nodded and Raph pulled. As the turtle had said, Seth spun like a sideways top and fell to the ground. He was so stunned at the sensation that he barely remembered to slap the ground. "Aight, now we do it again a few times."

Splinter watched the two practice the ukemi a few times, then switch. Raphael went through about five partner ukemis before he couldn't remember any more. Splinter asked from the sidelines if Seth knew any that they hadn't covered. He shook his head 'no,' so Splinter came up to them and took over for three more ukemis. When they had finished, he said, "Very good. Now, it is time for the others to begin. You may wait in the booth." The two nodded and walked over to the booth, keeping a rather large bubble space between them. They stood on opposite ends of the booth when they got in it. Together they separately observed the other turtles go through morning training. They were also doing partner exercises; after he had finished with Mikey, Don offered to partner up with Leo, since Raph was taken for the time being. Seth furtively observed his partner's face while he watched Leo partner up with another brother. Seth didn't know Raphael very well yet, but it seemed that he was agitated at the major change. Seth turned his attention back to the turtles' training, tucking away his observation for later review.

Raph and Seth were called out from the booth for sparring. Splinter told Seth that even though he was probably very familiar with this practice, he wanted Seth to sit out and watch the others spar just to see how they did it here, in case there were any differences. Seth said nothing, just sat down and complied. Splinter didn't show it, but he was starting to worry just a little about Seth's comfort with being silent. Of course Splinter had expected it, but he hadn't expected Seth to look so at ease with it. He said nothing about it; now was not the time, and patience was the name of the game. He began with Don and Mikey, then Leo and Mikey – since Don had been kind enough to offer his partnership earlier. Splinter dismissed the three to do as they pleased, and all but Leo opted to stick around and watch the match between Raph and Seth.

"Hajime," called Master Splinter, signaling for them to bow and begin. They began by circling one another, testing their boundaries with feigned punches and kicks.

_There. That's where he's weakest,_ thought Seth. He lunged forward at Raph, countering the hold Raphael instinctively got from Seth's charge. Seth brought Raphael to the ground, Seth on top, and went for a blood and airway choke. He was mildly repulsed by the green mutated skin turning red at the face, but reminded himself that he'd seen worse on other mutants back home. He kept choking.

Raphael got out of the choke and started trying to switch the position he was in. He punched at Seth's ribs and tried to knee him in the back; anything he could reach he tried to hit. One punch too many landed him in a wrist lock. Seth leaned in, increasing the pressure. His eyes were glinting with some kind of bloodlust. "Just tap out, freak. Maybe I'll let you win next time, go easy on ya."

Raphael half-chuckled and smirked. The human had leaned in too close in his arrogance, and his face was directly in the path of Raphael's fist. The force of the left hook knocked Seth off and on his back. When Raph righted himself to take advantage of the opportunity, Seth shifted so that he was on his side and better able to maneuver and kick. Raphael, after some time of circling and testing Seth's ground reactions, got him in a leg lock. Seth was about to tap out, but he couldn't stand to lose. Not this soon. With the pain and pressure increasing on both physical and mental fronts, Seth launched his free foot upward between Raph's legs. As planned, the turtle cried out and released Seth, then promptly fell to his knees, clutching his groin.

Everyone jumped up when Seth pulled his stunt, including Master Splinter and Seth himself. Don and Mikey came running over to their brother. "He'll be fine," said Seth. "I didn't kick him that hard." Raphael looked up and delivered some choice words. "Yeah, well…" He huffed loudly and said, "Whatever. I'm done here." He waved a hand and made for the door.

Halfway there he was stopped by Splinter. _Geez. This old geezer just doesn't get it! Why's he keep interrupting my amazing exits??_ "No, Seth. You are not finished. Come back here, **now.**"

Seth stared at the seriously ticked rat, then at Raph, who was still on the ground recovering. He looked back to Splinter and said, "He'll live. I'm leaving." He turned to leave again and started walking.

"SETH DAISUKE!" The sound of his Sensei's sir name stopped Seth dead in his tracks. Splinter was walking towards him. Seth turned his head to see what he had to say. "I told you to stay. Do not defy me." He had stopped with roughly two yards between them and was boring holes in Seth with the fire in his beady eyes.

Seth smirked. Then smiled. Soon he was laughing. He turned all the way around to face Splinter and closed some of the gap, matching the rat's fiery stare with his own icy one. He leaned down so that his height advantage was obvious and spat these words into the furry face: "Look, _rat,_ I don't give a flip who the hell I defy. Even if I did, you'd be at the bottom of the list, so I suggest you give it up and leave me the hell alone. Capiche?" He flicked one rodent ear for emphasis, then straightened and started for the door once again. Once he had exited, he leaned back in to say one last thing to Master Splinter. "Oh, and if I ever hear my Master's name come out of your vermin mouth again..." He shrugged. Then he was gone.

Don, Mikey, and Raph had been watching the scene unfold with silent horror; how could someone possibly show such disrespect for their sensei? ANY sensei, for that matter?

Splinter watched Seth leave. He released his concentrated negative emotions with a long exhale, then cleansed himself with a deep inhale. He turned and started back to his sons. "Raphael, are you alright?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TMNT.

"Consequences"

Seth ran up to his room and grabbed his backpack. He would find his way above ground – _Do I still have those directions Sensei gave me?_ – and live on the streets until he found a place to crash. _Yeah, I could be overreacting,_ he thought as he distributed the weight of his belongings, _but I bet that Splinter guy is really ticked now. Master Daisuke always made my life hell on earth for at least a week whenever I made him that angry, and Splinter seems like the type who pulls the same stuff. It's better if I just lay low for a while, and what better place than above ground where they can't go?_

He shouldered his pack, the old directions in hand. As he was leaving he passed Leo, who asked where he was going. Seth ignored him and kept moving. Leo called after him, but Seth was already in the tunnels backtracking the route he had taken less than a week ago.

Not three turns had passed before someone tapped him on the shoulder. Seth turned around and got a punch to the face in return. He stumbled back and fell to the ground, then looked up at his assailant. It was Raph. "There. A few more o' those and we'll be even." He offered his hand to Seth. Seth ignored it and got himself up.

"What in the name of God's green earth are you doing here, freak?"

"You know, I'm getting' pretty sick o' you callin' me 'freak.' I ain't no more a freak than you, ya pasty punk. Now come on. I'm takin' you back."

Seth laughed, then moaned in pain from the punch. He took some deep breaths to calm down the burning pains in his face. "Like hell I am. Buzz off." He readjusted his shoulder straps and started walking away.

Raphael grabbed Seth's backpack and a bit of t-shirt, yanking him back so that they were shoulder to shoulder. "Like hell you ain't. One way or another, you ain't leavin'. I'm pissed off and I got orders. Capiche?" He spun him around in a semicircle, releasing him so that he was facing the way he had come.

"Look man, you don't know who you're dealin' with, so I'll let all this slide. But trust me, you don't wanna mess with me. Give up and go back to your freak family."

Seth didn't even get to turn all the way before Raphael grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back around. Seth punched, only to find himself standing at Raph's side, his wrist in a lock he had seen police use on particularly rowdy culprits. Seth tried to get out of it; the pain that shot up his arm from the slightest pressure Raph placed on Seth's knuckles was enough to make him yelp. "Like I said, you ain't leavin'. Sensei wants tuh talk to ya."

Constantly on the verge of yelping out in pain from the wrist lock, Seth was led back to the lair. The one other time he tried to get out was before they walked in the main door, and it landed him on the ground in a lot of pain. Raphael simply dragged him back up, lock still in place, and kept going. Once inside the lair, Raphael made a beeline for the traditional Japanese paper door that closed off Master Splinter's room. Seth desperately wanted to struggle, but the wrist lock kept him from wriggling away.

The door was open and Leo was standing in a shadow next to it. He closed the door behind Raphael and Seth, then took a guard position by it. Don and Mikey moved in to block off the main entrance should Seth make another run for it. Inside Splinter's room, Raphael thrust Seth out of the lock and toward Master Splinter. The burly turtle moved to a corner and folded his arms, daring Seth to make a move. The teen glared at Raphael, who only looked back with perfect composure and a small smile. "Kneel, Seth." He whipped his head toward Master Splinter, then to the door. Raphael caught Seth's attention when he straightened in his corner and put one hand lightly on a sai. It was like he was saying, 'Make my day. Try and run.' Seth glowered at him and looked back to Splinter. Slowly he lowered himself onto his knees. "I am sorry that Raphael had to bring you back by force, but I could not let you leave."

"Look, I panicked, okay?" he began, trying to lessen the severity of whatever trouble he was in. "It happens, and I screwed up. So if you're gonna deliver some judgement from on high, just do it. The sooner I get all this over with and get back to Japan, to my real Sensei, the better."

"I have no intentions of punishing you, Seth." Seth was bewildered, but said nothing; no punishment sounded just fine to him. "I wish the exact opposite; I want to help you. And it is for that reason that I want you to come talk to me at least once a day, whenever you have free time. If you plan to continue with your rudeness, then you owe it to me to help me understand. Until then, you may not leave the lair. Are we clear?"

"Yeah, one question though. Ain't the point of bein' rude not having to explain yourself to anyone? Least of all the ones in charge?" he said, smirking arrogantly.

"That is your choice, but it is my decision to say when you are ready to return to your Sensei."

Seth's smile disappeared. "You wouldn't." Splinter turned his back in dismissal. Seth stood up, but did not leave. "Hey, you can't keep me here! In case you hadn't noticed, I ain't a freak like the rest of you guys! I can go up whenever I want and get a job! I can get the money to go back to Japan like that!" He snapped his fingers.

Splinter did not turn around when he said quietly, "Yes, but what would your Sensei say? Would he approve of you ignoring his wishes?"

"Don't you talk about my Sensei, rat!!" Seth started toward Splinter. He didn't know what he was intending to do; possibly fight him, but Seth couldn't even tell he was moving, his thoughts were so riled up. He was stopped by two vice-like hands on his shoulder and arm. Raphael pulled him back and put him against the corner he had been standing in.

"We ain't freaks, you little turd," he hissed into Seth's face. "And if I ever catch you talkin' like that to my Sensei again, I'll make sure your stay here is a living hell. Got that?"

"Raphael." Both boys turned their heads to look at Master Splinter. "That is enough. I have dismissed Seth. You may let him go." Raphael bared his teeth at Seth, then released him with a small shove.

Seth jerked his shoulders to adjust his shirt – Raph had tossed aside the backpack when he had taken Seth to the ground outside the main entrance. Seth jabbed a finger at Raph's face, saying, "I ain't done with you, _freak,_" and then yanked open the door to leave. He walked right past Leo, leaving the screen door open, and went to the main entrance. Mikey and Don blocked his way. "I'm getting' my sack. That a problem?"

"We'll get it for you," Don answered.

Seth's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Break the stuff inside and I break you. I'll be upstairs." He turned on his heel and climbed the stairs two at a time, disappearing into Raph's room. Leo, Don, and Mike watched him go, barely noticing when Raph and Splinter came out of the room to watch Seth's exit.

"Dude," said Michelangelo when he couldn't stand the silence any more. "That guy's got major issues."

"You would too, Michelangelo, if you were in his position." Master Splinter's sad voice drew the eight eyes away from Raph's room entrance and down to Splinter's level. "His sensei and I spoke before he made the decision to send Seth here." The turtles waited for him to say more, to explain why Seth was such a royal pain, but he simply said, "All he needs is time." Then he turned and walked back into his room, closing the door behind him.

**A/N:** Well, that's the end of the story that I have SO FAR. Hopefully I'll be able to start working on it again, since a couple of you seem so keen on it. ;) I have one other thing related to this that's an interview with the character Seth. I did it to get to know him better, to see how I envision him. So, I'll post that next. Be warned: There may be a very long pause between the interview and my next story posting. (Sorry. I'll try not to take too long. ;;)


	12. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Hey guys. I thought I wouldn't have to do this, but, I really don't feel any more writing going towards this story. It's not mid-action, so I'm declaring the story finished. I'll probably start working on the prequel to this story (Seth's history), but that wouldn't have anything to do with TMNT, so I wouldn't be able to post it here in good conscience. If I ever get around to posting my stories elsewhere (it's mostly creative writing; fan fictions aren't really my thing), I'll edit this note and provide the web address.

Sincerely,

Kalil


End file.
